Some more practical and historical advice for pagans is how time and time again they've been proven false and put to shame in the face of the Living God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ☦️
Wonderful video, and your old "How to pray like a pagan" video was invaluable too. Really looking forward to seeing more "instructional" videos like that in the future.
I’m excited for this video! Your videos have been a huge influence on me becoming a Pagan. Thank you for all your hard work and being a guide, especially to someone like me who has not found a community yet.
I’m from Hindu/Tantrik background ,I just want to say that I like learning about pre-Christian religion of other regions of the world. It’s hard to find any authentic information about them. Except few channels and your channel is one of the best. Greetings from Himalayas 🏔️ 🇮🇳
I love the idea of pagans converting a Tudor church into a site for Germanic paganism, in the same way pagan sites were turned into Christian sites. Feels like a poetic reversal.
No Pagans were prevented from worshiping in their temples. Its just as they converted to Christianity the buildings were used differently. Edict of Milan 313 When we, Constantine Augustus and Licinius Augustus, met so happily at Milan, and considered together all that concerned the interest and security of the State, we decided ... to grant to Christians and to everybody the free power to follow the religion of their choice, in order that all that is divine in the heavens may be favorable and propitious towards all who are placed under our authority.
Really glad to see this style of video, and thank you for your own personal take. I'm currently in the process of moving and rebuilding my altar so it couldn't have come at a better time. My personal plan is to build around the Norroena example, however, I will be including idols, etc. Personally, I currently use a silk cloth on my altar table but may swap it out for a linen one. And the only unique thing I maintain is a book containing my family tree/history which is nestled on my altar, as it's here I'll often make offerings to (/on behalf of) my Clan (being of Scottish extraction), and my ancestors as a whole. Your insight is invaluable and I'm grateful that someone with as much influence as yourself has expressed these various methods to the wider community, I'm excited to see whatever topics you may cover in the future!
I am not a Pagan myself but I respect the culture of our ancestors and the importance of its preservation. Much like how the Japanese live with Shintoism despite not necessarily being a practitioner of it.
Ikr, the same applies for many communities in the Americas, I've heard of places like the Amazon, Yucatan, Chiapas or Oaxaca where ppl still preserve their traditions with minimal change over the centuries
The last big and ancient pagan altar in Europe was located in the center of Minsk, capital of Belarus. It was destroyed by communist authorities in 1922. Google for the details if you're interested.
@@Survivethejive oh it seems results are only available in Russian and Belarussian languages. There is an article in Russian Wiki named "Дед (валун)" with the description of this sanctuary.
Thank you very much Tom! This was such an insightful video pertaining to Pagan worship, a topic which is a fascinating one and I would be very glad to see more of in future. Thanks again!
What a sober, clarifying breath of fresh air your presentation is. Within all the muck found on this platform, it was a great blessing to end my day, before a night's sleep with all that is wonderful and good.
A lot of new age contaminations around. Paganism is a really problematic tradition to get into for the above mentioned reason and the fact that a lot of the elements either disappeared due to christianity and got hidden or morphed into christianity so 'constructing' paganism in any way authentic form again is a hard task, and I'm skeptical if it is even possible but I respect STJ's efforts.
@@Survivethejive Thanks for replying, if you could point me in the direction of one or two other TH-camrs that you find to be a good source of information, I’d be most grateful 🙏🏻
most Hindu families have an altar at home with statues and pictures of their favoured Gods / Goddesses -- they light incense, ring bells and often have a cutting from a tulsi tree
@Survivethejive Due to my mixed heritage I would call myself a "Balkan pagan". I believe in a mix of Hellenic, Slavic and Paleo-Balkan beliefs and practice them frequently. Thanks for asking.
Great stuff. More of this would be most appreciated. I know you said the same principles in this Germanic paganism video can be applied to others, but I would love to see a dedicated follow-up, perhaps a collaboration with a practitioner, of Greco-Roman and Celtic paganism.
As other commenters have said, this video and the "how to pray like a pagan" are excellent resources. Please continue to make Paganism 101 content! I know it's not your focus, but any additional Celt-specific info you can slip in to the mix would also be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
That’s not to say there aren’t historical guidelines. You’ve done tremendous work and helped me come out of darkness when I started watching your channel years ago.
Without any prior knowledge, I'm happy that my alter close (so hopefully pleasing to the Gods), so Thank you for providing insight. I really admire your Wodan idol. I don't think I've seen one like that.
As a Swedish atheist with one atheist parent and one parent I might call an agnostic Christian, who appreciates tradition, myth and history, I've actually done what might be classed as pagan home sacrifices as a child. In rural Sweden we still have a somewhat extant tradition, even amongst Christians and atheists, of sacrificing porridge to the "tomte" - the "bownie" "hob" or "house wight" - at Christmas time. In many parts of Sweden farmers still maintain ward trees, where the "vättar" - more communal house wights - have traditionally been said to live, and they sometimes sacrifice grain, porridge, fruit or alcohol at their base. I've also taken part in more proper ritual blots as a student in Uppsala, where we libated and drank mead and blessed each other for the coming year. Always appreciates your vids :)
We have a similar tradition in Finland. Kids are told especially about saunatonttus (tomte of sauna) as good-willed wardens of sauna. However, they can be mean if the people don't respect sauna by swearing, bickering, being noisy or intoxicated. At Christmas time we bring kotikalja (similar to svagdrick) and food to appease the saunatonttu after bathing ourselves. We also honour our ancestors by feeding birds usually with a sheaf of barley or oat. People still do it to this day even if they don't know why exactly but there is a belief that deceased relatives may come back as a bird. On New Year's Eve molten tin is dumped into a bucket of cold water and fortune is told out of the shapes that form. A lot of the Christmas tradition has been passed over from Kekri (harvest festival) because of the systematic oppression of the church banning it. Celebration of Kekri had a capital punishment in the 1600s.
Same in Norway. My family was not one to run the churchdoors down, but always offered grøt to the nisse, had a tuntre, and otherwise kept the stories of ancestors alive.
This is also still done in remote rural parts of Britain. We have 'Tom Tit Tot' who is the same as the 'tomte', who must be appeased with a bowl of bread-and-milk or porridge
I love the idea of a Harrow in the garden! I have to admit i have no standing altair, i have to worship in secret for reasons. As an altair i use an very old very little wooden "bench" or rather sitting device my Grandpa used to sit on when he was cutting gras that grew in our stone yard. Its a beautiful little thing, he build it, (he was a learned wooden craftsman) and also painted it. And i use a idol of Wodan (Iam German) i created and put it on the altair. I use a old glass (made of glass) for beer libatations (don't have access to anything other) and i also use old pictures of my Grandfather and his father for ancestor worship and some sticks from the forrest with runes i carved into it for prayer (have to create everything myself because of my secret worship) Edit: I now have a standing altar and new idols, but still have to worship in secret.
I’m still trying to figure out what alter I can make with my limited resources, as I’m only 17. I have been thinking about carving a set of idols and maybe an offering bowl, since I have a set of carving tools. I’m not sure what I could offer, though, since I don’t have access to mead. Thanks so much for making this video, Tom!
Beer or Milk! Mead can be changed with Beer or Milk cause in a ritual sense Beer, Milk and animal Blood are all the same. But you can even offer Water (mineral or not, just clean) it represents holy communion with the gods!😄
Even a soda/pop, as it's something you like (probably), or you can burn some insence (in a firesafe dish, you can light rosemary or sage and let that smoke - never leave it unattended of course).
Good stuff. Thanks. Since we as a group have never been very big on written orthodoxies, documenting practise is very valuable. What we do is what really defines us more than what we read and say.
As a someone who practices Hinduism while worshiping my ancestral Gods as my version of the Kula or ancestor gods including Thunor, thank you very much for the video. In the process of adding to my altar as well. Wonderful video. On the Hindu calendar you made this on a similar time to the ancestor's fortnite right now if we want to worship them.
@@jhitjit I have a Hindu deity as my personal God but I worship the native deities in a way that people would worship their clan or village or ancestral deity.
@@BellBeakerBloke Its an alive tradition that still has a living chain. And as much as I like survive the jive I personally believe in the Gods in a more direct way rather than archaeological theories. (I know he does too but I am not that into secular archaeology when it comes to a spiritual path although I appreciate his works.)
Great video Tom. Its well balanced and simple to follow. These educational videos on spiritual practice are very important in todays world. I look forward to the ones you make in the future.
You are one of the rare wise great teachers of paganism on youtube. I have to think some of the heathen awakening that’s happening all over the world is because of your videos. Paganism is natural to all humans, it aligns us to that which is real. A natural connection to the earth, universe, animals, and ancestors. Its strips away all titles, egos, and socially created forms of humanity that we dwell in, and it leaves the breathing raw natural core of us that is the heart of ourselves. To realize paganism is to realise yourself, and existence. It is one thing to be a great conquerer for your people. But its is even better to conquer one’s self.
Ive had great interpersonal debate around the use of "foreign" objects on the altar, and was pleasantly surprised to see your bell is adorned with a vajra or dorje. My final conclusion was that our ancestors would have placed a premium on goods imported from a distant land, and so these fine imports are pleasing to the Gods. Especially since the vajra is symbolically cognate with Mjölnir, and from a cousin tradition, I see nothing heretical about using such things. Wondering your thoughts? Great video as always, Tom. So sad you couldn't make it to the FSH, and thanks for so faithfully representing the work of the Norrœna society to a larger audience. If your inclination is primarily reconstructionist, check them out and definitely buy the Æfinrúnar volumes 1 and 2 for more excellent sources on north germanic paganism.
Thank you! This is the type of information I have been looking for and wanted knowledge based upon fact not a "new age" invented ritual. I have just found your channel and look forward to more instructional videos to assist us in purity of our worship
Thank you so much for this outstanding video and for your explanations (both lore-based and personal) for various home altar setups. I just wanted to add that a fantastic book on Iamblicus and theurgy is Gregory Shaw's Theurgy and the Soul.
The altar theme can be quite internal, especially for newcomers. I'm a minimalist. Also the three of Uppsala, incense, cup for mead, a plate for sacrifice, runes, candles, Edda, nothing more. Probably not authentic, but better than those nightmares Google gives.I've had bad experiences with the drinking horns. If you don't pay attention once and the thing starts to mold.
remember do not degrade the sanatana dharma by calling it pagan. paganism strictly means pre abrahamic traditions of europe and other western nations. hinduism is not paganism.
@@Aryaveer_jadli I disagree. Hinduism is very pagan for you to say no is wrong if anything, and Lizzo alongside Jainism, Buddhism and stickers and are like one of the last pagan religions, still alive and well today…..
@@djprincegrandmasteryrjdalo2905 no it's not. Its called " vedic dharma" or "sanatana dharma". We aren't pagan. Europeans who are polytheistic are called pagans. We follow the way of manu, we follow the law of aryas.
I thank thee, Survive The Jive, this is a great film to share with the world, and this will only be a great blessing to all of our faith, this is what will help spread the word or our faith too.
Thank you for the detailed overview. As someone who’s basically all Allemanni descent, I’m especially interested in something specific to my ancestors.
In the Mabinogi, Branwen daughter of Llyr, Manawydan comes across an area of three doors. Heilyn Gwyn goes through the doorway facing east in order to bury Bendigeidfran's head. It may be possible that a ritual sacrificial site could contain three doorways, where the eastern one is where the offerings are given.
Another STJ upload? Yipee! Just in time for the period in which I’m setting up my own Altar as well. The Gods are auspicious in the timing in which their wisdom reaches us, no?
Great video, my friend. Thanks again. One thing I think many viewers would like to see is you making videos with the topic of specific and various Germanic tribes. Perhaps Celts, Slavs or Balts aswell? Anyway, love your channel man I think a little more diversity in your topics would get your views up! ♥️
I'm not pagan, just agnostic, but I have got a carved Odin idol on the top shelf of my non fiction bookshelf. I thought because he's the god of wisdom that would be the best place for him
I’m a Hellenic polytheist as well and trying to also practice Norse paganism is hard but by watching this video helped me a lot to understand Greco Roman household worship is not so different than the Norse tradition respectively like the hearth, libations, purification, and sacred spaces. I put votive offerings that I make for the gods and offer nails to Thor or decorative candle I made specifically for Oðin.
I loved the video, and thank you very much for the help. because I was in doubt how I set up my altar. and well I have a certain affinity for Donnar(thor) because in a very bad moment of health that I had tuberculosis, he helped me a lot, and Wodan asked for help at the time of the college test and also for seeking knowledge I am studying history and Ingvi for good harvests and fruit of labor and prosperity. then dedicate a suitable altar to them. is essential and this video helps me clarify and show how. so thank you very much
You need to set up a separate ancestral shrine first to connect with your lineage. Don’t set up an altar to any random God until it’s determined through careful runic divination. A relationship with a deity is reciprocal and can easily back fire. Also blood sacrifice can be required for petitions to manifest spiritual works - again that must be determined through careful divination with the runes to see if the Gods require it.
I wonder if Tom knows Byron Roberts from Yorkshire, renowned for fronting a legendary symphonic black metal band BAL-SAGOTH, rooted deeply in Anglo-Saxon heathenry. He authored one of my favorite pagan lyrics in a song: "Beneath the oak, I rest, bone weary, Thirsting for a horn of ale or jug of mead, And yet how could a heathen man wish for any more, Than the healing balms of English trees?"
Have you ever made a video on the parallels with judaism/christianity? The jews used to do all of the same stuff, passover was a sacrifice of the most perfect lamb, the "scapegoat" was a goat that was ritually lead to the wilderness to die, even the broader OT ragnarok/jacobs trouble etc. Christians just accept jesus as the last necessary sacrifice. Then theres the eucharist and consubstantiation/transubstantiation.. would be interesting hearing it from your perspective.
I appreciate you sharing the different approaches others, as well as yourself, take with regard to the various aspects of altar uses, setups, and locations. When my kids were still at home (and we lived in a place that allowed me to do this), I had two altars inside and one in the garden. One altar was located near the hearth and was dedicated to the house wights and the disir. This was where the regular day to day rituals happened that the kids also participated in. Another was placed in a private niche for my own personal work. The outside altar was used for major holidays and/or God specific observations or worship. If there is one thing I think most should take from this video, it is the importance of a clutter free and purposeful approach to one's altar.
The center is important as this is where the sacred fire would stand, into which offerings were fed. Hence the regular place of Heimdal in the Rigsthula in "the middle". In the elder era, the hearth occupied the center of the home and was a logical place for home worship. Today an oven wouldn't be practical, while a fireplace (the natural option) would not be set in the middle of the living room. The idea of a home that has an interior yard as is sometime seen in India I believe, would be very appropriate and appealing for an home altar ... for those who could afford it. But in any event the "center" and the "north" are virtually synonymous in the elder lore.
Great video Tom. If I can make a suggestion for a video, something on Saxo Grammaticus's work would be really good, especially on stories in the Gesta Danorum not found elsewhere or differing versions of the Eddic stories.
This may be an AMA question. But one thing I wanted to clarification on concerning your opinion, Tom. The Norroena Society was clearly placing a great deal of value on the Sagas as a guidebook. Given the authorship of the prose and poetic edda can we fully accept its examples of worship? The one thing that I love about the beliefs of my ancestors is that we don’t need a holy book like the monotheists.
But monotheists aren't the only ones who have holy texts. Book form or not. We shouldn't view our religion as being outside the rules of a serious religion. We read and read book after book that place so much importance on our Gods and culture. Why wouldn't we have a holy book and texts as guides for worship and prayers , but place importance on all these other texts? ... That ironically enough sometimes tell us books aren't important lol
Amazing video! Especially the part around Trimurti\Triglav\Svevid! It is awesome that you went through several sources and it is imperative that we share all that is known, so we could crooss reference and possibly reconstruct our original traditions. In the Balkans (Hum/Holm as was its old name) a home shrine tradition is still alive in our version of Christianity, along with special days dedicated to protecting deities of homes, called Slava. Vidovdan (Day of Svevid) is still celebrated too. Even though its viewed through the prism of Christianity, people would not relinquish it. Slava is a ritual day, dedicated to the Gods of the home and now saints or angels. Gods were tied to a specific home and inherited from the house itself when moving in. On the day of celebration - the Slava - any guest, intentional or not, must be offered food and beverage, as it is widely considered that an unintentional visitor embodies the spirit of a distant ancestor or a wandering god (usually the home deity) in that moment. He visits to test the readiness of the host to provide for and aid others and such acts are encouraged throughout the year. The words ghost, guest and host are directly tied to visitors for that specific reason and are mostly the same in the Slavic branch. Even the word for master or lord is gospodar, meaning guestgiver or or someone who provides guests with gifts. The world for gentleman is gospodin meaning loyal to guests. The word for lady is gospa. In some ways the concept is tied to Halloween, especially since Vampires represented malevolent spirits who could visit on all other nights and would require the host to open the door. The treating and the tricking parts are distinctly separate over here. Home shrines are kept towards East though, as solar worship was dominant here. Their exact contents of shrines have been obscured by Christianity, but it is known that they were present since the Lepenski Vir culture. Nowadays they are adorned with crosses, wine, icons, candle or oil lamp, incense and pattern sewn white cloth. Sometimes red and black details would be sewn on. I could provide more details if youre interested.
Can you do one on how to perform a Blot. Important for people setting up new (or for old) heathen orders. I'm sure many many more religious heathen orders are to come in the coming decades.
The pits of the underworld lining up, ideally pointing north is very interesting to me, as exact north on line to me is lake eire, then Niagara falls, then lake Ontario, and this is the only building set on this line, almost like a temple built by the government. 2 circular buildings also land on this line at the ends of the lake, and if that wasn't enough, the house has an underworld that I sail threw, has 2 boats down there.
Concerning cofgoda; already the continental Germanic peoples worshipped household spirits and spirits of the place called Kobold (meaning 'the ones who rule the house') and even earlier in history called Kofewalt (German 'walt' and Swedish 'välde' have the same Proto-Germanic root in 'wild' - power). I.e. Kofewalt is he/she who has the power of the house/place.
What are your feelings on the Odin from Lindby idol? Good or nah? I was looking for a more authentic and historically attested representation of Woden for my altar, and it's a toss-up between the Lindby variant or the Lejre one as you have (love your decorations on all your idols, btw).
@@Goldi3loxroxas long as it works for you man, i don't think the gods will hold it against you lol. Side note though, its not that hard to make mead at home
Thanks for the video, it was useful, though my family and I personally aren't Germanic pagans, but Ossetian. We usually have a depiction of Uastyrdzhi in the room where we pray on Ossetian holidays with three pies. Firstly we pray to Xucau and then to Uastyrdzhi. So thank you for the video, it was interesting to see your practices.
Great video, my set up is similar to yours, I haven’t used idols yet but the rest is the same. Mines still near the mantle. I haven’t been able to find idols that I deem worthy enough. Planning on making a pole idol like the one you displayed covered in gold leaf with a small structure around it. More of a temple. From my understanding the house altar was more ancestral or house spirit related, genius etc.. Worship to the gods seemed like more strict public to temple sacrifices/ritual. I don’t think any of this was exact throughout all regions and history so it is more personal IMO just not all personal takes are good. I personally don’t like the recommendations for the first two organizations. They tend to extrapolate a lot of intricate and specific details for scarce source material that has alternative explanations. Then list their extrapolations as fact. I get structure is needed but they take it too far. Your approach is far more reasonable and probably more historically accurate ironically.
I have two - one outside under a big ash; and one inside. The outside one is somewhat hard to access in winter, as it gets hidden under snow and ice. The indoor one is right by a west-facing window. What goes on either, depends on season, and also what I'm focusing on at the moment. Not every issue I face needs the support of the same deity. However, I do have a permanent set-up to Freya overlooking the indoor one! A plaque with a lynx skull and falcon feathers, and two crystal cats & two candles on a shelf below the plaque.
Setting up an altar for your home, no matter your pagan pantheon or belief system is very satisfying. I enjoyed this talk.
We definitely need more of these educated guides on pagan practices, thank you!
I agree
I agree
Yes, I found his video on how to pray like an IE very helpful when starting out a few years ago.
Fully agree
Hi Dark Matter
Providing pagans with practical and historical information for worship is invaluable on this platform. Great work Tom.
Cheers!
Why aren't you on Telegram anymore? been trying to contact you
@@Survivethejive I cut down the platforms I was on an using. I recreate an account and reach out soon
Some more practical and historical advice for pagans is how time and time again they've been proven false and put to shame in the face of the Living God -- Father, Son, and Holy Spirit ☦️
Love your music, followed you on Instagram
Wonderful video, and your old "How to pray like a pagan" video was invaluable too. Really looking forward to seeing more "instructional" videos like that in the future.
I’m excited for this video! Your videos have been a huge influence on me becoming a Pagan. Thank you for all your hard work and being a guide, especially to someone like me who has not found a community yet.
You always were a pagan. It's who you are.
bro come to India if you really want to learn paganism
I’m from Hindu/Tantrik background ,I just want to say that I like learning about pre-Christian religion of other regions of the world. It’s hard to find any authentic information about them. Except few channels and your channel is one of the best.
Greetings from Himalayas 🏔️ 🇮🇳
I love the idea of pagans converting a Tudor church into a site for Germanic paganism, in the same way pagan sites were turned into Christian sites. Feels like a poetic reversal.
@kippkipper4126 YEAH!
Yes
No Pagans were prevented from worshiping in their temples. Its just as they converted to Christianity the buildings were used differently. Edict of Milan 313
When we, Constantine Augustus and Licinius Augustus, met so happily at Milan, and considered together all that concerned the interest and security of the State, we decided ... to grant to Christians and to everybody the free power to follow the religion of their choice, in order that all that is divine in the heavens may be favorable and propitious towards all who are placed under our authority.
Sounds like we are gonna need another crusade.
@@ferrisbueller9991 That's a base calumny against Muslims. Whatever else they taught Muslims could not be said to be Pagans....
Always a great day when STJ posts a new vid.
Would love more “101” stuff.
Every video brings me one step closer to making the jump. Thanks, Tom!
You can do it!
There is no jump. Paganism is inherent in all human cultures.
@@xperez6590 there are many gods. Monotheism is an invention.
@@xperez6590 your mythology is nothing special
Really glad to see this style of video, and thank you for your own personal take. I'm currently in the process of moving and rebuilding my altar so it couldn't have come at a better time. My personal plan is to build around the Norroena example, however, I will be including idols, etc.
Personally, I currently use a silk cloth on my altar table but may swap it out for a linen one. And the only unique thing I maintain is a book containing my family tree/history which is nestled on my altar, as it's here I'll often make offerings to (/on behalf of) my Clan (being of Scottish extraction), and my ancestors as a whole.
Your insight is invaluable and I'm grateful that someone with as much influence as yourself has expressed these various methods to the wider community, I'm excited to see whatever topics you may cover in the future!
Personally I think it is more important the cloth is white than that it is linen. Silk is fine
Really enjoyed that. Made perfect sense and does help those of us that need to learn more. Thanks Tom
I am not a Pagan myself but I respect the culture of our ancestors and the importance of its preservation. Much like how the Japanese live with Shintoism despite not necessarily being a practitioner of it.
me too
Respect.
Ikr, the same applies for many communities in the Americas, I've heard of places like the Amazon, Yucatan, Chiapas or Oaxaca where ppl still preserve their traditions with minimal change over the centuries
Alot of parallels between Japanese society of antiquity and European societies of antiquity
@@derekintheph8935definitely and many of the Shinto gods came from Vedic gods for instance Varuna is called Suiten in Shintoism
The last big and ancient pagan altar in Europe was located in the center of Minsk, capital of Belarus. It was destroyed by communist authorities in 1922. Google for the details if you're interested.
no results when i searched for it
@@Survivethejive
Did you try searching for "Minsk grandfather alter"?
@@akwida yeah
@@Survivethejive oh it seems results are only available in Russian and Belarussian languages. There is an article in Russian Wiki named "Дед (валун)" with the description of this sanctuary.
Very interesting, do tell
Thank you very much Tom! This was such an insightful video pertaining to Pagan worship, a topic which is a fascinating one and I would be very glad to see more of in future. Thanks again!
What a sober, clarifying breath of fresh air your presentation is. Within all the muck found on this platform, it was a great blessing to end my day, before a night's sleep with all that is wonderful and good.
Glad it was helpful!
The Gods will appreciate this so much!!!! Cheers Tom ❤
Yours is the only pagan content I consider legitimate on TH-cam.
A lot of new age contaminations around. Paganism is a really problematic tradition to get into for the above mentioned reason and the fact that a lot of the elements either disappeared due to christianity and got hidden or morphed into christianity so 'constructing' paganism in any way authentic form again is a hard task, and I'm skeptical if it is even possible but I respect STJ's efforts.
Thanks but there are others besides me who you can learn a lot from
@@Survivethejive Thanks for replying, if you could point me in the direction of one or two other TH-camrs that you find to be a good source of information, I’d be most grateful 🙏🏻
He gave you three sources in the video!
@@bobbyg5154 those are organisations, not TH-camrs I believe.
most Hindu families have an altar at home with statues and pictures of their favoured Gods / Goddesses -- they light incense, ring bells and often have a cutting from a tulsi tree
How helpful that video is. Even though I am not a Germanic pagan. May Dyēus bless you.
what kind of pagan are you?
@Survivethejive Due to my mixed heritage I would call myself a "Balkan pagan". I believe in a mix of Hellenic, Slavic and Paleo-Balkan beliefs and practice them frequently. Thanks for asking.
This is so interesting, we definitely need to hear more on the traditions of the old British pagan practices.🕯
Great stuff. More of this would be most appreciated. I know you said the same principles in this Germanic paganism video can be applied to others, but I would love to see a dedicated follow-up, perhaps a collaboration with a practitioner, of Greco-Roman and Celtic paganism.
Thank you for helping us rediscover ourselves. Your time and effort is appreciated by me and many others.
As other commenters have said, this video and the "how to pray like a pagan" are excellent resources. Please continue to make Paganism 101 content! I know it's not your focus, but any additional Celt-specific info you can slip in to the mix would also be greatly appreciated. Thank you!
Instead I am making an online course on thinkific called Starting Heathenry
@@Survivethejive excellent, I'm excited to take it!
That’s not to say there aren’t historical guidelines. You’ve done tremendous work and helped me come out of darkness when I started watching your channel years ago.
Without any prior knowledge, I'm happy that my alter close (so hopefully pleasing to the Gods), so Thank you for providing insight. I really admire your Wodan idol. I don't think I've seen one like that.
I saw our Hof! Odinshof in CA.
Hail the Gods.
Hail the Folk.
Hail the AFA.
Awesome video, I've been waiting for this. Thank you, Tom!
As a Swedish atheist with one atheist parent and one parent I might call an agnostic Christian, who appreciates tradition, myth and history, I've actually done what might be classed as pagan home sacrifices as a child. In rural Sweden we still have a somewhat extant tradition, even amongst Christians and atheists, of sacrificing porridge to the "tomte" - the "bownie" "hob" or "house wight" - at Christmas time. In many parts of Sweden farmers still maintain ward trees, where the "vättar" - more communal house wights - have traditionally been said to live, and they sometimes sacrifice grain, porridge, fruit or alcohol at their base.
I've also taken part in more proper ritual blots as a student in Uppsala, where we libated and drank mead and blessed each other for the coming year.
Always appreciates your vids :)
We have a similar tradition in Finland. Kids are told especially about saunatonttus (tomte of sauna) as good-willed wardens of sauna. However, they can be mean if the people don't respect sauna by swearing, bickering, being noisy or intoxicated. At Christmas time we bring kotikalja (similar to svagdrick) and food to appease the saunatonttu after bathing ourselves. We also honour our ancestors by feeding birds usually with a sheaf of barley or oat. People still do it to this day even if they don't know why exactly but there is a belief that deceased relatives may come back as a bird. On New Year's Eve molten tin is dumped into a bucket of cold water and fortune is told out of the shapes that form. A lot of the Christmas tradition has been passed over from Kekri (harvest festival) because of the systematic oppression of the church banning it. Celebration of Kekri had a capital punishment in the 1600s.
Same in Norway. My family was not one to run the churchdoors down, but always offered grøt to the nisse, had a tuntre, and otherwise kept the stories of ancestors alive.
This is also still done in remote rural parts of Britain. We have 'Tom Tit Tot' who is the same as the 'tomte', who must be appeased with a bowl of bread-and-milk or porridge
@@lallalucas4145not in Berkshire
Huh is atheism not a crime in the Islamic Republic of Sweden??? I am confusion.
Love this video! I wish I had something like this a few years ago. Thank you for passing the torch of wisdom.
Glad you enjoyed it!
I love the idea of a Harrow in the garden! I have to admit i have no standing altair, i have to worship in secret for reasons. As an altair i use an very old very little wooden "bench" or rather sitting device my Grandpa used to sit on when he was cutting gras that grew in our stone yard. Its a beautiful little thing, he build it, (he was a learned wooden craftsman) and also painted it. And i use a idol of Wodan (Iam German) i created and put it on the altair. I use a old glass (made of glass) for beer libatations (don't have access to anything other) and i also use old pictures of my Grandfather and his father for ancestor worship and some sticks from the forrest with runes i carved into it for prayer (have to create everything myself because of my secret worship)
Edit: I now have a standing altar and new idols, but still have to worship in secret.
Where in Germany?
@@nullgravity2583 Rhineland east of the Rhine
I’m still trying to figure out what alter I can make with my limited resources, as I’m only 17. I have been thinking about carving a set of idols and maybe an offering bowl, since I have a set of carving tools. I’m not sure what I could offer, though, since I don’t have access to mead. Thanks so much for making this video, Tom!
Beer or Milk! Mead can be changed with Beer or Milk cause in a ritual sense Beer, Milk and animal Blood are all the same. But you can even offer Water (mineral or not, just clean) it represents holy communion with the gods!😄
Even a soda/pop, as it's something you like (probably), or you can burn some insence (in a firesafe dish, you can light rosemary or sage and let that smoke - never leave it unattended of course).
Lol 17...why bother you'll be onto a fad in a couple months 😂
Good stuff. Thanks. Since we as a group have never been very big on written orthodoxies, documenting practise is very valuable. What we do is what really defines us more than what we read and say.
As a someone who practices Hinduism while worshiping my ancestral Gods as my version of the Kula or ancestor gods including Thunor, thank you very much for the video. In the process of adding to my altar as well. Wonderful video. On the Hindu calendar you made this on a similar time to the ancestor's fortnite right now if we want to worship them.
Why do you not syncretize hindu deities with their germanic counterparts
@@jhitjit I have a Hindu deity as my personal God but I worship the native deities in a way that people would worship their clan or village or ancestral deity.
@@BellBeakerBlokeI thought it was the opposite
@@BellBeakerBloke Its an alive tradition that still has a living chain. And as much as I like survive the jive I personally believe in the Gods in a more direct way rather than archaeological theories. (I know he does too but I am not that into secular archaeology when it comes to a spiritual path although I appreciate his works.)
@@BellBeakerBloke I know which is what I said. He believes them in a direct way but the way you framed it was very much about archaeological theories.
Great video Tom. Its well balanced and simple to follow. These educational videos on spiritual practice are very important in todays world. I look forward to the ones you make in the future.
Pagan, here. Asatruar. I loved it and I cannot wait to see more.
Excellent video, Tom - I can see you put a lot of thought and work into its production - thank you for sharing all this information! Skål !! 🥰
Much appreciated!
You are one of the rare wise great teachers of paganism on youtube. I have to think some of the heathen awakening that’s happening all over the world is because of your videos. Paganism is natural to all humans, it aligns us to that which is real. A natural connection to the earth, universe, animals, and ancestors. Its strips away all titles, egos, and socially created forms of humanity that we dwell in, and it leaves the breathing raw natural core of us
that is the heart of ourselves. To realize paganism is to realise yourself, and existence. It is one thing to be a great conquerer for your people. But its is even better to conquer one’s self.
Yeah, sure whatever you say. That’s why Christians they didn’t leave you guys out and annihilate all of your religions right?
Ive had great interpersonal debate around the use of "foreign" objects on the altar, and was pleasantly surprised to see your bell is adorned with a vajra or dorje. My final conclusion was that our ancestors would have placed a premium on goods imported from a distant land, and so these fine imports are pleasing to the Gods. Especially since the vajra is symbolically cognate with Mjölnir, and from a cousin tradition, I see nothing heretical about using such things. Wondering your thoughts?
Great video as always, Tom. So sad you couldn't make it to the FSH, and thanks for so faithfully representing the work of the Norrœna society to a larger audience. If your inclination is primarily reconstructionist, check them out and definitely buy the Æfinrúnar volumes 1 and 2 for more excellent sources on north germanic paganism.
Fantastic video, Tom. It's the perfect and knowledgeable guide for pagans to set up their altar. And thanks for the shoutout to my altar ;)
You are most welcome
Another amazing video as always. Very detailed and informative. Would love to see more with other pagan faiths.
Thank you! This is the type of information I have been looking for and wanted knowledge based upon fact not a "new age" invented ritual. I have just found your channel and look forward to more instructional videos to assist us in purity of our worship
Thank you so much for this outstanding video and for your explanations (both lore-based and personal) for various home altar setups. I just wanted to add that a fantastic book on Iamblicus and theurgy is Gregory Shaw's Theurgy and the Soul.
I was ecstatic when you mentioned Norroena Society and the Ealdrice in one video : )
I got mine!! Super excited and thanks again Nate!
I really like this type of video. Not saying it should be your main thing, but more videos like this should definitely be made
Thank you so much for this guide Tom! I always wanted to build an altar to the abo gods!
I would love to know where to get the representation of Odin that you have. Please. It calls out to me.
More practical advice for beginners, please (perhaps a series of "Paganism for Beginners" videos?)
Excellent and clear discourse on setting up a home altar or shrine. Thanks Tom!
Glad it was helpful!
The altar theme can be quite internal, especially for newcomers. I'm a minimalist. Also the three of Uppsala, incense, cup for mead, a plate for sacrifice, runes, candles, Edda, nothing more. Probably not authentic, but better than those nightmares Google gives.I've had bad experiences with the drinking horns. If you don't pay attention once and the thing starts to mold.
In Hinduism we call this a "Ghar Mandir". Nice to see European Pagans also have this tradition.
@@BellBeakerBlokeis any one denying it?
remember do not degrade the sanatana dharma by calling it pagan. paganism strictly means pre abrahamic traditions of europe and other western nations. hinduism is not paganism.
@@Aryaveer_jadli they never said it was pagan - just said "European Pagans".
@@Aryaveer_jadli I disagree. Hinduism is very pagan for you to say no is wrong if anything, and Lizzo alongside Jainism, Buddhism and stickers and are like one of the last pagan religions, still alive and well today…..
@@djprincegrandmasteryrjdalo2905 no it's not. Its called " vedic dharma" or "sanatana dharma". We aren't pagan. Europeans who are polytheistic are called pagans. We follow the way of manu, we follow the law of aryas.
Thank you so much for this invaluable content! ❤
I love the pagan practice tutorials. Wish these got more attention!
Excellent work Tom, you’re doing the Gods work.
Practical tip for us moderns, Christian or pagan: where ever your homes tv is supposed to be that’s where you should pray and set up whatever you will
Thank you Tom, this is absolutely invaluable.
I thank thee, Survive The Jive, this is a great film to share with the world, and this will only be a great blessing to all of our faith, this is what will help spread the word or our faith too.
Thank you for the detailed overview. As someone who’s basically all Allemanni descent, I’m especially interested in something specific to my ancestors.
I’m excited for you to be making more videos like this! It was long overdue
In the Mabinogi, Branwen daughter of Llyr, Manawydan comes across an area of three doors. Heilyn Gwyn goes through the doorway facing east in order to bury Bendigeidfran's head. It may be possible that a ritual sacrificial site could contain three doorways, where the eastern one is where the offerings are given.
Another STJ upload? Yipee! Just in time for the period in which I’m setting up my own Altar as well. The Gods are auspicious in the timing in which their wisdom reaches us, no?
Great video, my friend. Thanks again. One thing I think many viewers would like to see is you making videos with the topic of specific and various Germanic tribes. Perhaps Celts, Slavs or Balts aswell? Anyway, love your channel man I think a little more diversity in your topics would get your views up! ♥️
MORE DIVERSITY??!!?
HEY GUYS!!! OVERHERE!!
I spotted a wokeist!
Ah yes, the terrible diversity of the European peoples.
I think this is great and I bet it will help your channel too having some videos that you can throw together a little easier than a full documentary!
I have been feeling increasingly distant from our faith. And I seem to have completely forgotten how to set up an altar. Thank you for this, Tom.
Excellent video! Thank you, Tom.
great video!!! still refer to the pray like an indo European regularly.
Hugely helpful. Thank you.
Glad it was helpful!
That was great. More of these please.
I am not even pagan but I loved this video! Very informative and easy to follow/listen to.
Oh you've been spoiling us recently with these awesome uploads!
I'm not pagan, just agnostic, but I have got a carved Odin idol on the top shelf of my non fiction bookshelf. I thought because he's the god of wisdom that would be the best place for him
I’m a Hellenic polytheist as well and trying to also practice Norse paganism is hard but by watching this video helped me a lot to understand Greco Roman household worship is not so different than the Norse tradition respectively like the hearth, libations, purification, and sacred spaces. I put votive offerings that I make for the gods and offer nails to Thor or decorative candle I made specifically for Oðin.
I loved the video, and thank you very much for the help. because I was in doubt how I set up my altar. and well I have a certain affinity for Donnar(thor) because in a very bad moment of health that I had tuberculosis, he helped me a lot, and Wodan asked for help at the time of the college test and also for seeking knowledge I am studying history and Ingvi for good harvests and fruit of labor and prosperity. then dedicate a suitable altar to them. is essential and this video helps me clarify and show how. so thank you very much
You need to set up a separate ancestral shrine first to connect with your lineage. Don’t set up an altar to any random God until it’s determined through careful runic divination. A relationship with a deity is reciprocal and can easily back fire. Also blood sacrifice can be required for petitions to manifest spiritual works - again that must be determined through careful divination with the runes to see if the Gods require it.
I wonder if Tom knows Byron Roberts from Yorkshire, renowned for fronting a legendary symphonic black metal band BAL-SAGOTH, rooted deeply in Anglo-Saxon heathenry. He authored one of my favorite pagan lyrics in a song:
"Beneath the oak, I rest, bone weary,
Thirsting for a horn of ale or jug of mead,
And yet how could a heathen man wish for any more,
Than the healing balms of English trees?"
I'm trying to practice in secret without any of these materials, but I will try my best to change my altars to somewhat reflect the stuff here
Much love from a Hellenic Texan!
Have you ever made a video on the parallels with judaism/christianity? The jews used to do all of the same stuff, passover was a sacrifice of the most perfect lamb, the "scapegoat" was a goat that was ritually lead to the wilderness to die, even the broader OT ragnarok/jacobs trouble etc. Christians just accept jesus as the last necessary sacrifice. Then theres the eucharist and consubstantiation/transubstantiation.. would be interesting hearing it from your perspective.
I appreciate you sharing the different approaches others, as well as yourself, take with regard to the various aspects of altar uses, setups, and locations. When my kids were still at home (and we lived in a place that allowed me to do this), I had two altars inside and one in the garden. One altar was located near the hearth and was dedicated to the house wights and the disir. This was where the regular day to day rituals happened that the kids also participated in. Another was placed in a private niche for my own personal work. The outside altar was used for major holidays and/or God specific observations or worship. If there is one thing I think most should take from this video, it is the importance of a clutter free and purposeful approach to one's altar.
The center is important as this is where the sacred fire would stand, into which offerings were fed. Hence the regular place of Heimdal in the Rigsthula in "the middle".
In the elder era, the hearth occupied the center of the home and was a logical place for home worship.
Today an oven wouldn't be practical, while a fireplace (the natural option) would not be set in the middle of the living room. The idea of a home that has an interior yard as is sometime seen in India I believe, would be very appropriate and appealing for an home altar ... for those who could afford it.
But in any event the "center" and the "north" are virtually synonymous in the elder lore.
Great video Tom. If I can make a suggestion for a video, something on Saxo Grammaticus's work would be really good, especially on stories in the Gesta Danorum not found elsewhere or differing versions of the Eddic stories.
THANKS,TOM! I've no proper place in my own living-quarters for a harrow, but may be able to set one up from time to time. Woden lifath!
This is very cool. I’m glad you did this
This may be an AMA question. But one thing I wanted to clarification on concerning your opinion, Tom. The Norroena Society was clearly placing a great deal of value on the Sagas as a guidebook. Given the authorship of the prose and poetic edda can we fully accept its examples of worship? The one thing that I love about the beliefs of my ancestors is that we don’t need a holy book like the monotheists.
But monotheists aren't the only ones who have holy texts. Book form or not. We shouldn't view our religion as being outside the rules of a serious religion.
We read and read book after book that place so much importance on our Gods and culture. Why wouldn't we have a holy book and texts as guides for worship and prayers , but place importance on all these other texts? ... That ironically enough sometimes tell us books aren't important lol
I'd love to see an example of greek shrines. Just the best looking imo
Amazing video! Especially the part around Trimurti\Triglav\Svevid!
It is awesome that you went through several sources and it is imperative that we share all that is known, so we could crooss reference and possibly reconstruct our original traditions.
In the Balkans (Hum/Holm as was its old name) a home shrine tradition is still alive in our version of Christianity, along with special days dedicated to protecting deities of homes, called Slava. Vidovdan (Day of Svevid) is still celebrated too. Even though its viewed through the prism of Christianity, people would not relinquish it.
Slava is a ritual day, dedicated to the Gods of the home and now saints or angels. Gods were tied to a specific home and inherited from the house itself when moving in. On the day of celebration - the Slava - any guest, intentional or not, must be offered food and beverage, as it is widely considered that an unintentional visitor embodies the spirit of a distant ancestor or a wandering god (usually the home deity) in that moment. He visits to test the readiness of the host to provide for and aid others and such acts are encouraged throughout the year.
The words ghost, guest and host are directly tied to visitors for that specific reason and are mostly the same in the Slavic branch. Even the word for master or lord is gospodar, meaning guestgiver or or someone who provides guests with gifts. The world for gentleman is gospodin meaning loyal to guests. The word for lady is gospa.
In some ways the concept is tied to Halloween, especially since Vampires represented malevolent spirits who could visit on all other nights and would require the host to open the door. The treating and the tricking parts are distinctly separate over here.
Home shrines are kept towards East though, as solar worship was dominant here.
Their exact contents of shrines have been obscured by Christianity, but it is known that they were present since the Lepenski Vir culture.
Nowadays they are adorned with crosses, wine, icons, candle or oil lamp, incense and pattern sewn white cloth. Sometimes red and black details would be sewn on.
I could provide more details if youre interested.
You should see my video about pagan hospitality and gods in disguise
I totally missed it. TH-cam keeps unsubbing me periodically over the years, seems like knowing who we are is deemed dangerous by the overlords.
This is really inspiring. What advice would you give to a young, black guy just getting into paganism?
Can you do one on how to perform a Blot. Important for people setting up new (or for old) heathen orders. I'm sure many many more religious heathen orders are to come in the coming decades.
The pits of the underworld lining up, ideally pointing north is very interesting to me, as exact north on line to me is lake eire, then Niagara falls, then lake Ontario, and this is the only building set on this line, almost like a temple built by the government. 2 circular buildings also land on this line at the ends of the lake, and if that wasn't enough, the house has an underworld that I sail threw, has 2 boats down there.
Concerning cofgoda; already the continental Germanic peoples worshipped household spirits and spirits of the place called Kobold (meaning 'the ones who rule the house') and even earlier in history called Kofewalt (German 'walt' and Swedish 'välde' have the same Proto-Germanic root in 'wild' - power). I.e. Kofewalt is he/she who has the power of the house/place.
Thank you!
What are your feelings on the Odin from Lindby idol? Good or nah? I was looking for a more authentic and historically attested representation of Woden for my altar, and it's a toss-up between the Lindby variant or the Lejre one as you have (love your decorations on all your idols, btw).
Thank you Tom!
Another thing worth mentioning, in Germania they used ale in cups so it is a perfectly fine alternative to mead in horns.
i was thinking of Ale or Cider myself as i dont know where i could get Mede
@@Goldi3loxroxas long as it works for you man, i don't think the gods will hold it against you lol. Side note though, its not that hard to make mead at home
From my understanding, is it mead just honey and water mixed together?
@@djprincegrandmasteryrjdalo2905 Mead is fermented and alcoholic.
Thanks for the video, it was useful, though my family and I personally aren't Germanic pagans, but Ossetian. We usually have a depiction of Uastyrdzhi in the room where we pray on Ossetian holidays with three pies. Firstly we pray to Xucau and then to Uastyrdzhi. So thank you for the video, it was interesting to see your practices.
Thanks for sharing!
Brilliant video. Very helpful. Please do more step by step guides.
Great video, my set up is similar to yours, I haven’t used idols yet but the rest is the same. Mines still near the mantle.
I haven’t been able to find idols that I deem worthy enough. Planning on making a pole idol like the one you displayed covered in gold leaf with a small structure around it. More of a temple.
From my understanding the house altar was more ancestral or house spirit related, genius etc.. Worship to the gods seemed like more strict public to temple sacrifices/ritual. I don’t think any of this was exact throughout all regions and history so it is more personal IMO just not all personal takes are good.
I personally don’t like the recommendations for the first two organizations. They tend to extrapolate a lot of intricate and specific details for scarce source material that has alternative explanations. Then list their extrapolations as fact. I get structure is needed but they take it too far. Your approach is far more reasonable and probably more historically accurate ironically.
God poles are too big for the home
@@Survivethejive I agree for most, I’m fortunate in having a large home and yard. Being in the states helps.
I have two - one outside under a big ash; and one inside.
The outside one is somewhat hard to access in winter, as it gets hidden under snow and ice.
The indoor one is right by a west-facing window.
What goes on either, depends on season, and also what I'm focusing on at the moment. Not every issue I face needs the support of the same deity.
However, I do have a permanent set-up to Freya overlooking the indoor one! A plaque with a lynx skull and falcon feathers, and two crystal cats & two candles on a shelf below the plaque.
Thank you so much! This type of videos is my favourite!
This was really helpful. Thank you